Reel assembly for winding web materials

Abstract

A reel assembly includes a first hub defining an outer surface, a second hub co-axially disposed relative to the first hub, and a first movable member including a spooling surface that is movable to a position exterior to the outer surface to define at least a portion of an effective outer reel diameter of the assembly. The first and second hubs are manually rotatable relative to one another between a first rotational position and a second rotational position, the assembly being characterized by an expanded state in the first rotational position and a contracted state in the second rotational position where the effective outer reel diameter is greater in the expanded state than in the contracted state.

1 . A reel assembly for winding a material web, comprising:
 an outer hub having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a first slot extending from the outer surface to the inner surface;   an inner hub rotatably mounted within the outer hub between at least a first and second rotational position, the inner hub having a first recess therein; and   a first moveable member having a spooling surface and a bearing surface;   wherein the first moveable member is mounted such that at least a portion thereof extends through the first slot, and such that in the first rotational position the inner hub contacts the bearing surface to maintain the spooling surface at an extended position, and in the second rotational position the first recess receives the bearing surface to move the spooling surface to a retracted position.   
   
   
       2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first recess includes a ramp surface. 
   
   
       3 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the bearing surface slides along the ramp surface as the inner and outer hubs are rotated from the first rotational position to the second rotational position. 
   
   
       4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first recess includes a through-slot in the inner hub. 
   
   
       5 . The assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the bearing surface extends through the through-slot in the second rotational position. 
   
   
       6 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the inner hub has a wall thickness, and wherein the extended and retracted positions of the spooling surface define a distance greater than the wall thickness. 
   
   
       7 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first moveable member has a leading end proximate the spooling surface and a trailing end pivotally coupled to the outer hub. 
   
   
       8 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first slot is one of a plurality of slots extending from the outer surface to the inner surface, and wherein the first recess is one of a plurality of recesses in the inner hub, and wherein the first moveable member is one of a plurality of moveable members each having a spooling surface and a bearing surface. 
   
   
       9 . The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of slots are substantially equally spaced around a circumference of the outer hub, and wherein the plurality of recesses are substantially equally spaced around a circumference of the inner hub. 
   
   
       10 . The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the spooling surfaces are each maintained at extended positions in the first rotational position and each move to retracted positions in the second rotational position, and wherein the spooling surfaces in the extended positions produce a maximum effective diameter of the reel assembly, and the spooling surfaces in the retracted positions produce a minimum effective diameter of the reel assembly. 
   
   
       11 . A reel assembly for winding a material web, the reel assembly comprising:
 a first hub having an outer surface and an inner surface;   a first movable member forming a spooling surface for receiving a material web and a bearing surface, the spooling surface movable to a position exterior to the outer surface to define an outer reel diameter of the assembly; and   a second hub co-axially disposed relative to the first hub, the second hub including an outer circumferential surface and a first transition zone defining a recess and a ramp, the ramp extending radially inward from a first side to a second side opposite the first side;   wherein the first and second hubs are manually rotatable relative to one another between a first rotational position in which the bearing surface is proximate the first side of the ramp, and a second rotational position in which the bearing surface is proximate the second side, the assembly characterized by an expanded state in the first rotational position and a contracted state in the second rotational position, the outer reel diameter being greater in the expanded state than in the contracted state.   
   
   
       12 . The reel assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a plurality of hinged members respective ones of which are pivotally coupled to the first hub adjacent a respective one of a plurality of slots; and   a plurality of transition zones defined by the second hub that correspond with the plurality of hinged members.   
   
   
       13 . The reel assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the reel assembly is configured such that in the expanded state, the spooling surfaces of the plurality of hinged members combine to prevent winding of the material web onto the outer surface of the first hub. 
   
   
       14 . The reel assembly of  claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of hinged members defines a spooling surface exterior the outer surface of the first hub. 
   
   
       15 . The reel assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the reel assembly is configured such that in the expanded state, a web wound tautly around the reel assembly contacts the spooling surfaces without contacting the outer surface of the first hub. 
   
   
       16 . The reel assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the first side of the ramp defines a radius coincident with the circumferential surface, and further wherein the bearing surface abuts the radius in the first rotational position. 
   
   
       17 . The reel assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a locking mechanism coupled to the first and second hubs for releasably locking the reel assembly in the first rotational position;   wherein the locking mechanism includes a handle defining a tab, the tab movably received within a channel formed in an end of the first hub and the handle movably coupled to an end plate that is coupled to the second hub.   
   
   
       18 . The reel assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the second hub defines a detent sized to receive the tab, the handle biased relative to the end plate tab such that the tab is secured within the detent in the first rotational position. 
   
   
       19 . A system for processing web material, the system comprising:
 a supply of web material; and   the reel assembly of  claim 1 .   
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the supply of web material includes a backing layer maintaining a plurality of film strips, the system further comprising:
 an unwind spindle rotatably maintaining the supply of web material upstream of the reel assembly; and   a separation station located between the unwind spindle and the reel assembly, the separation station adapted to separate the film strips from the backing layer;   wherein the reel assembly is operable to wind the backing layer into a coreless roll of waste web following processing of the web material at the separation station.   
   
   
       21 . A method of processing a material web, the method comprising:
 providing a reel assembly manually operable to transition a spooling surface thereof between an expanded state and a contracted state, the reel assembly including an inner hub co-axially disposed within an outer hub, the inner hub defining a ramp and the outer hub defining an outer surface and a through-slot corresponding with the ramp;   transitioning the spooling surface to the expanded state;   winding the material web directly onto the spooling surface in the expanded state to form a wound web;   manually transitioning the spooling surface to the contracted state; and   removing the wound web from the spooling surface.   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the wound web is characterized by the absence of a separate core. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein transitioning the spooling surface to the expanded state includes rotating the outer hub relative to the inner hub and moving a portion of a movable member up the ramp of the inner hub and through the through-slot such that the spooling surface extends beyond the outer surface of the outer hub. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein manually transitioning the spooling surface to the contracted state includes rotating the outer hub relative to the inner hub and moving a portion of a movable member down the ramp of the inner hub and through the through-slot such that the spooling surface retracts relative to the outer surface of the outer hub.